


To Thine Ownself To Be True

by sharpiesgal (TigerLily)



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Past Abuse, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-03
Updated: 2014-03-03
Packaged: 2018-01-14 10:43:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1263349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TigerLily/pseuds/sharpiesgal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One day Tony discovers that Clint has a tattoo, and they have a discussion about it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Thine Ownself To Be True

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kaige68](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaige68/gifts), [lasairfhiona](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lasairfhiona/gifts).



“What’s this?” Tony asked one day out of the blue. He had caught hold of Clint’s right arm and turned it so that the cursive writing on the inside of it was visible. It surprised him because he thought he knew every inch of Clint’s body.

“Offhand I would say it’s a tattoo,” Clint replied as he tried to pull his arm from Tony’s grasp. “Now, let go.”

“But, why haven’t I seen it before?”

“I normally I cover it up because it is dangerous to have any kind of identifying mark when I work undercover,” Clint explained as he managed to pull his arm from Tony’s grasp. “Why the sudden fascination?”

“It’s not fascination. More like surprise,” Tony freely admitted.

“Because you thought you knew me intimately?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

“Does it bother you that I have a tattoo?” Clint asked wondering if having a tattoo would suddenly make or break their relationship.

“Why should it? It’s your body and what you do with it is your decision,” Tony countered. 

“That’s very open minded of you.”

“Let me guess you were in a relationship where someone wasn’t so open minded?” Tony said wrapping an arm around Clint’s shoulders and pulling him into a loose embrace.

“Yeah, I was,” Clint softly answered. “She thought since we had a marriage license that she could dictate my actions concerning my body.”

“Wow,” Tony muttered and added it to the list of reasons why he wouldn’t be able to get along with Mockingbird if Fury added her to the Avengers. “That’s a rather male chauvinistic attitude.”

“Main reason why I chose what I did for my tattoo,” Clint explained with a hint of a smile.

“Can’t go wrong with the Bard,” Tony agreed with a smile of his own.

Clint nodded. “To thine ownself be true” had always been his favorite quote from _Hamlet_.

“Have you ever thought about getting another tattoo?”

“No,” Clint replied. “You are the first person who I have been with who hasn’t cared that I have one in the first place.”

“Babe, you’re my partner not my property,” Tony seriously said. “I will never tell you what or what you can not do with your body. If you ever want to get another tattoo, I won’t stop you.”

“So I can get your name tattooed on my ass?” Clint asked with a teasing note in his voice.

“Stick to Shakespeare.” Tony had more than enough stuff with his name plastered on it. He didn’t need or want to add Clint’s ass to that.

“As you wish,” Clint quietly said before leaning forward and softly kissing Tony.


End file.
